PARKER RANCH HISTORIC HOMES

The history of Waimea is intimately tied to that of the Parker Ranch. It all began in 1793, when George Vancouver gave a small herd to King Kamehameha I. The king bred the animals in the herd and declared them kapu (forbidden) to be hunted. King Kamehameha I allowed the herd to breed and declared that it was kapu (forbidden) to hunt them. The cattle were thus protected for 10 years, so much so that they ended up invading all the neighboring lands! Some inhabitants even had to leave their houses to give way to these sacred animals... As it became urgent to manage this herd, the king decided to entrust it to a certain John Palmer Parker. The latter, accomplishing his task perfectly, quickly became the king's favorite, who offered him a piece of land near Mauna Kea. Parker progressively appropriated the land in the vicinity, so much so that his property eventually reached the size of 90,000 hectares. It was here that he established the famous Parker Ranch.

While the last Parker heir, Samuel Smart, died some 15 years ago, the very wealthy Parker Corporation remains the main economic engine of Waimea. It funds the public hospital, a private school and the town's festivals. It is also logical that this part of the island is the richest, with residents who have a better standard of living than on the rest of the island and who can afford to live in very nice houses. Waimea is still a land of farming and ranching where you can find many organic farms and where you often see the famous paniolos (Hawaiian cowboys). A beautiful statue of a paniolo capturing a bull adorns the town's main shopping center.

Today one can visit two Parker family homes that have been particularly well preserved: the Mana Hale and the Puuopelu. The most recent, the Puuopelu (1862), houses a museum with several impressionist paintings collected by Richard Palmer Smart, the last Parker heir, who was also a singer on Broadway! Put on pause during the pandemic, the open house should resume at the end of 2022.

This isalso where the Julyrodeo and hair races are held. A 100% local and good-natured event that is worth the detour to test a real immersion in the life of the Big Islanders, very proud of this heritage.